101
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Caveolin-1 Controls Hyperresponsiveness to Mechanical Stimuli and Fibrogenesis-Associated RUNX2 Activation in Keloid Fibroblasts. J Invest Dermatol 2017; 138:208-218. [PMID: 28899682 DOI: 10.1016/j.jid.2017.05.041] [Citation(s) in RCA: 60] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/13/2016] [Revised: 05/20/2017] [Accepted: 05/30/2017] [Indexed: 11/22/2022]
Abstract
Keloids are pathological scars characterized by excessive extracellular matrix production that are prone to form in body sites with increased skin tension. CAV1, the principal coat protein of caveolae, has been associated with the regulation of cell mechanics, including cell softening and loss of stiffness sensing ability in NIH3T3 fibroblasts. Although CAV1 is present in low amounts in keloid fibroblasts (KFs), the causal association between CAV1 down-regulation and its aberrant responses to mechanical stimuli remain unclear. In this study, atomic force microscopy showed that KFs were softer than normal fibroblasts with a loss of stiffness sensing. The decrease of CAV1 contributed to the hyperactivation of fibrogenesis-associated RUNX2, a transcription factor germane to osteogenesis/chondrogenesis, and increased migratory ability in KFs. Treatment of KFs with trichostatin A, which increased the acetylation level of histone H3, increased CAV1 and decreased RUNX2 and fibronectin. Trichostatin A treatment also resulted in cell stiffening and decreased migratory ability in KFs. Collectively, these results suggest a role for CAV1 down-regulation in linking the aberrant responsiveness to mechanical stimulation and extracellular matrix accumulation with the progression of keloids, findings that may lead to new developments in the prevention and treatment of keloid scarring.
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102
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Rianna C, Radmacher M. Influence of microenvironment topography and stiffness on the mechanics and motility of normal and cancer renal cells. NANOSCALE 2017; 9:11222-11230. [PMID: 28752168 DOI: 10.1039/c7nr02940c] [Citation(s) in RCA: 44] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/28/2023]
Abstract
The tumor microenvironment highly influences cancer cell modes and dynamics, above all during invasive and metastatic processes. When aiming at studying cancer cell behavior in vitro, the use of conventional cell culture systems, such as Petri dishes, fails in recapitulating the mechanical and topographical properties of the natural extracellular matrix (ECM). Here the versatility of stiffness-tunable hydrogels and the efficacy of the replica molding technique with silicone polymers are exploited, aiming at studying cancer and normal cell behavior with platforms able to capture the heterogeneities of the natural in vivo context. We compared the mechanical properties of normal and cancer renal cells on different stiffness value gels (with Young's moduli of 3, 17 and 31 kPa) by using atomic force microscopy (AFM) and investigated cell indentation phenomena on compliant gels with confocal microscopy. Moreover, we studied cell mechanics, morphology and migration on isotropic linear structures, spaced at 1.5 μm, aiming at mimicking the aligned fiber bundles typically observed at tumor borders. By using this approach, we could highlight differences in the way healthy and cancer renal cells react to changes in their microenvironment. Our results may potentially pave the way to unravel the complex processes involved in cancer progression, especially in tissue invasion and migration during metastasis formation.
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Affiliation(s)
- C Rianna
- Institute of Biophysics, University of Bremen, Otto-Hahn Allee 1, D-28359 Bremen, Germany.
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103
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Rianna C, Kumar P, Radmacher M. The role of the microenvironment in the biophysics of cancer. Semin Cell Dev Biol 2017; 73:107-114. [PMID: 28746843 DOI: 10.1016/j.semcdb.2017.07.022] [Citation(s) in RCA: 43] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/30/2017] [Revised: 07/14/2017] [Accepted: 07/18/2017] [Indexed: 01/23/2023]
Abstract
During the last decades, cell mechanics has been recognized as a quantitative measure to discriminate between many physiological and pathological states of single cells. In the field of biophysics of cancer, a large body of research has been focused on the comparison between normal and cancer mechanics and slowly the hypothesis that cancer cells are softer than their normal counterparts has been accepted, even though in situ tumor tissue is usually stiffer than the surrounding normal tissue. This corroborates the idea that the extra-cellular matrix (ECM) has a critical role in regulating tumor cell properties and behavior. Rearrangements in ECM can lead to changes in cancer cell mechanics and in specific conditions the general assumption about cancer cell softening could be confuted. Here, we highlight the contribution of ECM in cancer cell mechanics and argue that the statement that cancer cells are softer than normal cells should be firmly related to the properties of cell environment and the specific stage of cancer cell progression. In particular, we will discuss that when employing cell mechanics in cancer diagnosis and discrimination, the chemical, the topographical and - last but not least - the mechanical properties of the microenvironment are very important.
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Affiliation(s)
- Carmela Rianna
- Institute of Biophysics, University of Bremen, Otto-Hahn Allee 1, D-28359 Bremen, Germany
| | - Prem Kumar
- Institute of Biophysics, University of Bremen, Otto-Hahn Allee 1, D-28359 Bremen, Germany
| | - Manfred Radmacher
- Institute of Biophysics, University of Bremen, Otto-Hahn Allee 1, D-28359 Bremen, Germany.
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104
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Maninova M, Caslavsky J, Vomastek T. The assembly and function of perinuclear actin cap in migrating cells. PROTOPLASMA 2017; 254:1207-1218. [PMID: 28101692 DOI: 10.1007/s00709-017-1077-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/01/2016] [Accepted: 01/09/2017] [Indexed: 05/24/2023]
Abstract
Stress fibers are actin bundles encompassing actin filaments, actin-crosslinking, and actin-associated proteins that represent the major contractile system in the cell. Different types of stress fibers assemble in adherent cells, and they are central to diverse cellular processes including establishment of the cell shape, morphogenesis, cell polarization, and migration. Stress fibers display specific cellular organization and localization, with ventral fibers present at the basal side, and dorsal fibers and transverse actin arcs rising at the cell front from the ventral to the dorsal side and toward the nucleus. Perinuclear actin cap fibers are a specific subtype of stress fibers that rise from the leading edge above the nucleus and terminate at the cell rear forming a dome-like structure. Perinuclear actin cap fibers are fixed at three points: both ends are anchored in focal adhesions, while the central part is physically attached to the nucleus and nuclear lamina through the linker of nucleoskeleton and cytoskeleton (LINC) complex. Here, we discuss recent work that provides new insights into the mechanism of assembly and the function of these actin stress fibers that directly link extracellular matrix and focal adhesions with the nuclear envelope.
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Affiliation(s)
- Miloslava Maninova
- Institute of Microbiology, Academy of Sciences of the Czech Republic, Videnska 1083, 142 00, Prague, Czech Republic
| | - Josef Caslavsky
- Institute of Microbiology, Academy of Sciences of the Czech Republic, Videnska 1083, 142 00, Prague, Czech Republic
| | - Tomas Vomastek
- Institute of Microbiology, Academy of Sciences of the Czech Republic, Videnska 1083, 142 00, Prague, Czech Republic.
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105
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Integrating the glioblastoma microenvironment into engineered experimental models. Future Sci OA 2017; 3:FSO189. [PMID: 28883992 PMCID: PMC5583655 DOI: 10.4155/fsoa-2016-0094] [Citation(s) in RCA: 47] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/21/2016] [Accepted: 02/22/2017] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Glioblastoma (GBM) is the most lethal cancer originating in the brain. Its high mortality rate has been attributed to therapeutic resistance and rapid, diffuse invasion - both of which are strongly influenced by the unique microenvironment. Thus, there is a need to develop new models that mimic individual microenvironmental features and are able to provide clinically relevant data. Current understanding of the effects of the microenvironment on GBM progression, established experimental models of GBM and recent developments using bioengineered microenvironments as ex vivo experimental platforms that mimic the biochemical and physical properties of GBM tumors are discussed.
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106
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Cell–Gel Mechanical Interactions as an Approach to Rapidly and Quantitatively Reveal Invasive Subpopulations of Metastatic Cancer Cells. Tissue Eng Part C Methods 2017; 23:180-187. [DOI: 10.1089/ten.tec.2016.0424] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
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107
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The selective cytotoxicity of DSF-Cu attributes to the biomechanical properties and cytoskeleton rearrangements in the normal and cancerous nasopharyngeal epithelial cells. Int J Biochem Cell Biol 2017; 84:96-108. [PMID: 28111334 DOI: 10.1016/j.biocel.2017.01.007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/11/2016] [Revised: 01/14/2017] [Accepted: 01/16/2017] [Indexed: 12/15/2022]
Abstract
Cancer initiation and progression follow complex changes of cellular architecture and biomechanical property. Cancer cells with more submissive (or "softer") than their healthy counterparts attributed to the reorganization of the complex cytoskeleton structure, may be considered as a potential anti-tumor therapeutic target. In this study, atomic force microscopy (AFM) was carried out to detect the topographical and biophysical changes of nasopharyngeal carcinoma CNE-2Z cells and normal nasopharyngeal epithelial cells NP69-SV40T by treating the Disulfiram chelated with Cu2+ (DSF-Cu). DSF-Cu induced the apoptotic population, ROS production and decreased the NF-κB-p65 expression of CNE-2Z cells, which was much higher than those of NP69-SV40T cells. DSF-Cu caused the obvious changes of cell morphology and membrane ultrastructure in CNE-2Z cells. The roughness decreased and stiffness increased significantly in CNE-2Z cells, which correlated with the rearrangement of intracellular F-actin, FLNa and α-tubulin structures in CNE-2Z cells. And the adhesion force of CNE-2Z cells was also increased accompanied with the increased E-cadherin expression. However, these results could not be observed in the NP69-SV40T cells even the concentration of DSF reached up to 400nM. Finally, the detection of cell wound scratch assay confirmed DSF-Cu could inhibit the migration of CNE-2Z cells, but no effect on NP69-SV40T cells. These findings demonstrated the selective cytotoxicity of DSF-Cu in CNE-2Z cells may attribute to the different mechanical properties and cytoskeleton rearrangement from the normal nasopharyngeal epithelial cells.
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108
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Tanja Mierke C. Physical role of nuclear and cytoskeletal confinements in cell migration mode selection and switching. AIMS BIOPHYSICS 2017. [DOI: 10.3934/biophy.2017.4.615] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/23/2022] Open
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109
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Biophysical Approach to Mechanisms of Cancer Prevention and Treatment with Green Tea Catechins. Molecules 2016; 21:molecules21111566. [PMID: 27869750 PMCID: PMC6273158 DOI: 10.3390/molecules21111566] [Citation(s) in RCA: 34] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/29/2016] [Revised: 10/26/2016] [Accepted: 11/09/2016] [Indexed: 01/25/2023] Open
Abstract
Green tea catechin and green tea extract are now recognized as non-toxic cancer preventives for humans. We first review our brief historical development of green tea cancer prevention. Based on exciting evidence that green tea catechin, (−)-epigallocatechin gallate (EGCG) in drinking water inhibited lung metastasis of B16 melanoma cells, we and other researchers have studied the inhibitory mechanisms of metastasis with green tea catechins using biomechanical tools, atomic force microscopy (AFM) and microfluidic optical stretcher. Specifically, determination of biophysical properties of cancer cells, low cell stiffness, and high deformability in relation to migration, along with biophysical effects, were studied by treatment with green tea catechins. The study with AFM revealed that low average values of Young’s moduli, indicating low cell stiffness, are closely associated with strong potential of cell migration and metastasis for various cancer cells. It is important to note that treatments with EGCG and green tea extract elevated the average values of Young’s moduli resulting in increased stiffness (large elasticity) of melanomas and various cancer cells. We discuss here the biophysical basis of multifunctions of green tea catechins and green tea extract leading to beneficial effects for cancer prevention and treatment.
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110
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Murakami E, Nakanishi Y, Hirotani Y, Ohni S, Tang X, Masuda S, Enomoto K, Sakurai K, Amano S, Yamada T, Nemoto N. Roles of Ras Homolog A in Invasive Ductal Breast Carcinoma. Acta Histochem Cytochem 2016; 49:131-140. [PMID: 27917007 PMCID: PMC5130346 DOI: 10.1267/ahc.16020] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/28/2016] [Accepted: 09/16/2016] [Indexed: 12/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Breast cancer has a poor prognosis owing to tumor cell invasion and metastasis. Although Ras homolog (Rho) A is involved in tumor cell invasion, its role in breast carcinoma is unclear. Here, RhoA expression was examined in invasive ductal carcinoma (IDC), with a focus on its relationships with epidermal-mesenchymal transition (EMT) and collective cell invasion. Forty-four surgical IDC tissue samples and two normal breast tissue samples were obtained. RhoA, E-cadherin, vimentin, and F-actin protein expression were analyzed by immunohistochemistry. RhoA, ROCK, mTOR, AKT1, and PIK3CA mRNA expression were conducted using laser microdissection and semi-nested quantitative reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction. RhoA expression was stronger on the tumor interface of IDCs than the tumor center (P<0.001). RhoA expression was correlated with ROCK expression only in HER2-subtype IDC (P<0.05). In IDCs co-expressing RhoA and ROCK, F-actin expression was stronger on the tumor interface, particularly at the edges of tumor cells, than it was in ROCK-negative IDCs (P<0.0001). In conclusion, RhoA expression was not correlated with EMT in IDC, but enhanced F-actin expression was localized on the edge of tumor cells that co-expressed ROCK. RhoA/ROCK signaling may be associated with collective cell invasion, particularly in HER2-subtype IDC.
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Affiliation(s)
- Eriko Murakami
- Department of Breast Surgery, Nihon University School of Medicine
| | - Yoko Nakanishi
- Department of Pathology, Nihon University School of Medicine
| | - Yukari Hirotani
- Department of Pathology, Nihon University School of Medicine
| | - Sumie Ohni
- Department of Pathology, Nihon University School of Medicine
| | - Xiaoyan Tang
- Department of Pathology, Nihon University School of Medicine
| | - Shinobu Masuda
- Department of Pathology, Nihon University School of Medicine
| | | | - Kenichi Sakurai
- Department of Breast Surgery, Nihon University School of Medicine
| | - Sadao Amano
- Department of Breast Surgery, Nihon University School of Medicine
| | - Tsutomu Yamada
- Department of Pathology, Nihon University School of Medicine
| | - Norimichi Nemoto
- Department of Pathology, Nihon University School of Medicine
- Research Institute of Medical Science, Nihon University School of Medicine
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111
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Rianna C, Radmacher M. Comparison of viscoelastic properties of cancer and normal thyroid cells on different stiffness substrates. EUROPEAN BIOPHYSICS JOURNAL: EBJ 2016; 46:309-324. [DOI: 10.1007/s00249-016-1168-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 68] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/21/2016] [Revised: 08/24/2016] [Accepted: 08/27/2016] [Indexed: 12/19/2022]
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112
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Maninová M, Vomastek T. Dorsal stress fibers, transverse actin arcs, and perinuclear actin fibers form an interconnected network that induces nuclear movement in polarizing fibroblasts. FEBS J 2016; 283:3676-3693. [PMID: 27538255 DOI: 10.1111/febs.13836] [Citation(s) in RCA: 37] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/08/2016] [Revised: 06/30/2016] [Accepted: 08/16/2016] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
In polarized motile cells, stress fibers display specific three-dimensional organization. Ventral stress fibers, attached to focal adhesions at both ends, are restricted to the basal side of the cell and nonprotruding cell sides. Dorsal fibers, transverse actin arcs, and perinuclear actin fibers emanate from protruding cell front toward the nucleus and toward apical side of the cell. Perinuclear cap fibers further extend above the nucleus, associate with nuclear envelope through LINC (linker of nucleoskeleton and cytoskeleton) complex and terminate in focal adhesions at cell rear. How are perinuclear actin fibers formed is poorly understood. We show that the formation of perinuclear actin fibers requires dorsal stress fibers that polymerize from focal adhesions at leading edge, and transverse actin arcs that are interconnected with dorsal fibers in spots rich in α-actinin-1. During cell polarization, the interconnected dorsal fibers and transverse arcs move from leading edge toward dorsal side of the cell. As they move, transverse arcs associate with one end of stress fibers present at nonprotruding cell sides, move them above the nucleus thus forming perinuclear actin fibers. Furthermore, the formation of perinuclear actin fibers induces temporal rotational movement of the nucleus resulting in nuclear reorientation to the direction of migration. These results suggest that the network of dorsal fibers, transverse arcs, and perinuclear fibers transfers mechanical signal between the focal adhesions and nuclear envelope that regulates the nuclear reorientation in polarizing cells.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Tomáš Vomastek
- Institute of Microbiology AS CR, Prague, Czech Republic.
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113
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Li M, Liu L, Xiao X, Xi N, Wang Y. Viscoelastic Properties Measurement of Human Lymphocytes by Atomic Force Microscopy Based on Magnetic Beads Cell Isolation. IEEE Trans Nanobioscience 2016; 15:398-411. [DOI: 10.1109/tnb.2016.2547639] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/10/2022]
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114
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Lee WH, Choong LY, Mon NN, Lu S, Lin Q, Pang B, Yan B, Krishna VSR, Singh H, Tan TZ, Thiery JP, Lim CT, Tan PBO, Johansson M, Harteneck C, Lim YP. TRPV4 Regulates Breast Cancer Cell Extravasation, Stiffness and Actin Cortex. Sci Rep 2016; 6:27903. [PMID: 27291497 PMCID: PMC4904279 DOI: 10.1038/srep27903] [Citation(s) in RCA: 80] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/04/2015] [Accepted: 05/26/2016] [Indexed: 12/28/2022] Open
Abstract
Metastasis is a significant health issue. The standard mode of care is combination of chemotherapy and targeted therapeutics but the 5-year survival rate remains low. New/better drug targets that can improve outcomes of patients with metastatic disease are needed. Metastasis is a complex process, with each step conferred by a set of genetic aberrations. Mapping the molecular changes associated with metastasis improves our understanding of the etiology of this disease and contributes to the pipeline of targeted therapeutics. Here, phosphoproteomics of a xenograft-derived in vitro model comprising 4 isogenic cell lines with increasing metastatic potential implicated Transient Receptor Potential Vanilloid subtype 4 in breast cancer metastasis. TRPV4 mRNA levels in breast, gastric and ovarian cancers correlated with poor clinical outcomes, suggesting a wide role of TRPV4 in human epithelial cancers. TRPV4 was shown to be required for breast cancer cell invasion and transendothelial migration but not growth/proliferation. Knockdown of Trpv4 significantly reduced the number of metastatic nodules in mouse xenografts leaving the size unaffected. Overexpression of TRPV4 promoted breast cancer cell softness, blebbing, and actin reorganization. The findings provide new insights into the role of TRPV4 in cancer extravasation putatively by reducing cell rigidity through controlling the cytoskeleton at the cell cortex.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wen Hsin Lee
- Department of Biochemistry, Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, National University of Singapore, Singapore
| | - Lee Yee Choong
- Department of Biochemistry, Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, National University of Singapore, Singapore
| | - Naing Naing Mon
- Department of Biochemistry, Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, National University of Singapore, Singapore
| | - SsuYi Lu
- Department of Biochemistry, Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, National University of Singapore, Singapore
| | - Qingsong Lin
- Department of Biological Sciences, Faculty of Science, National University of Singapore, Singapore
| | - Brendan Pang
- Cancer Science Institute of Singapore, Singapore
| | - Benedict Yan
- National University Hospital, Department of Laboratory Medicine, Singapore
| | | | - Himanshu Singh
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, National University of Singapore, Singapore
| | - Tuan Zea Tan
- Cancer Science Institute of Singapore, Singapore
| | - Jean Paul Thiery
- Department of Biochemistry, Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, National University of Singapore, Singapore
- Cancer Science Institute of Singapore, Singapore
| | - Chwee Teck Lim
- Mechanobiology Institute, National University of Singapore, Singapore
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, National University of Singapore, Singapore
| | | | | | - Christian Harteneck
- Department of Pharmacology and Experimental Therapy, Institute of Experimental and Clinical Pharmacology and Toxicology, Eberhard Karls University Hospitals and Clinics, Tübingen, Germany
| | - Yoon Pin Lim
- Department of Biochemistry, Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, National University of Singapore, Singapore
- NUS Graduate School for Integrative Sciences and Engineering, National University of Singapore, Singapore
- National University Cancer Institute, National University Health System, Singapore
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115
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Niu F, Wang DC, Lu J, Wu W, Wang X. Potentials of single-cell biology in identification and validation of disease biomarkers. J Cell Mol Med 2016; 20:1789-95. [PMID: 27113384 PMCID: PMC4988278 DOI: 10.1111/jcmm.12868] [Citation(s) in RCA: 32] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/21/2016] [Accepted: 03/10/2016] [Indexed: 12/23/2022] Open
Abstract
Single-cell biology is considered a new approach to identify and validate disease-specific biomarkers. However, the concern raised by clinicians is how to apply single-cell measurements for clinical practice, translate the message of single-cell systems biology into clinical phenotype or explain alterations of single-cell gene sequencing and function in patient response to therapies. This study is to address the importance and necessity of single-cell gene sequencing in the identification and development of disease-specific biomarkers, the definition and significance of single-cell biology and single-cell systems biology in the understanding of single-cell full picture, the development and establishment of whole-cell models in the validation of targeted biological function and the figure and meaning of single-molecule imaging in single cell to trace intra-single-cell molecule expression, signal, interaction and location. We headline the important role of single-cell biology in the discovery and development of disease-specific biomarkers with a special emphasis on understanding single-cell biological functions, e.g. mechanical phenotypes, single-cell biology, heterogeneity and organization of genome function. We have reason to believe that such multi-dimensional, multi-layer, multi-crossing and stereoscopic single-cell biology definitely benefits the discovery and development of disease-specific biomarkers.
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Affiliation(s)
- Furong Niu
- Huzhou Central Hospital, Huzhou, Zhejiang Province, China
| | - Diane C Wang
- Department of Pulmonary Medicine, The First affiliated Hospital, Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou, China
| | - Jiapei Lu
- Department of Pulmonary Medicine, The First affiliated Hospital, Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou, China
| | - Wei Wu
- Huzhou Central Hospital, Huzhou, Zhejiang Province, China
| | - Xiangdong Wang
- Huzhou Central Hospital, Huzhou, Zhejiang Province, China
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116
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Abstract
Tissue stiffness is tightly controlled under normal conditions, but changes with disease. In cancer, tumors often tend to be stiffer than the surrounding uninvolved tissue, yet the cells themselves soften. Within the past decade, and particularly in the last few years, there is increasing evidence that the stiffness of the extracellular matrix modulates cancer and stromal cell mechanics and function, influencing such disease hallmarks as angiogenesis, migration, and metastasis. This review briefly summarizes recent studies that investigate how cancer cells and fibrosis-relevant stromal cells respond to ECM stiffness, the possible sensing appendages and signaling mechanisms involved, and the emergence of novel substrates - including substrates with scar-like fractal heterogeneity - that mimic the in vivo mechanical environment of the cancer cell.
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Affiliation(s)
- LiKang Chin
- Department of Physiology and the Institute for Medicine and Engineering, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA; Physical Sciences in Oncology Center at Penn (PSOC@Penn), University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA; Clinical Research Center for Diabetes, Tokushima University Hospital, Tokushima 770-8503, Japan
| | - Yuntao Xia
- Physical Sciences in Oncology Center at Penn (PSOC@Penn), University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA; Molecular & Cell Biophysics and NanoBioPolymers Labs, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA
| | - Dennis E Discher
- Physical Sciences in Oncology Center at Penn (PSOC@Penn), University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA; Molecular & Cell Biophysics and NanoBioPolymers Labs, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA
| | - Paul A Janmey
- Physical Sciences in Oncology Center at Penn (PSOC@Penn), University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA; Clinical Research Center for Diabetes, Tokushima University Hospital, Tokushima 770-8503, Japan
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